Rumphi area declared ODF Free
People in the area of Sub-Traditional Authority (ST/A) Chapinduka in Rumphi were on Thursday in jubilant mood after their area was officially declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) at a function that was held at Tcharo in the district.
STA Chapinduka’s area is one of the difficult- to- access areas in the district, located along Lake Malawi close to Usisya in Nkhata Bay. It is mostly accessible by water.
Chapinduka was presented with a certificate of recognition by chief of health services Charles Mwansambo.
Speaking at the certificate presentation ceremony, Sub T/A Chapinduka explained that it was a challenge to change mindset of the people, who had, for ages, used bushes and the lake as their toilet.
“We concentrated our effort by taking to task those villages which did not have toilets with drop-hole covers and hand washing facilities in place. Our efforts finally paid off,” he explained.
Chapinduka then appealed to government, local and international aid agencies to assist his area with potable water, saying the area has a lot of water bodies but there is no borehole or pipe water system in place.
In his speech Mwansambo commended the people of Chapinduka for heeding sanitation messages and urged them to continue.
“There is an outbreak of cholera in Tanzania which is very close to this area. Please, take all sanitary steps to ensure that this cholera outbreak does not reach your door steps,” he said. n
